2017 Long Term Fleet
Welcome to MCN's 120,000-mile test of 2017's key new machines. From Suzuki’s new GSX-R1000R and the new Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP to the BMW R nineT Racer and the KTM 125 Duke, it's the UK's most comprehensive bike fleet.
MCN's 2015 Longterm Fleet - we present the most important collection of bikes in 2015.
MCN's 2016 Longterm Fleet - we present the most important collection of bikes in 2016.
MCN Fleet: GSX-R1000R sips fuel like a commuter
14 September 2017 by
On a slow moving journey from London to MCN’s Peterborough HQ recently, my GSX-R did the unthinkable for a superbike and returned an astonishing 61mpg. I’m more interested in chasing lap times than...
MCN Fleet: My standard Blade SP's too loud. How weird is that?
08 September 2017 by
Talk about a slow burner. As the miles slip by, this Blade SP inexorably grows bigger in my life – to the point where my attitude towards it has progressed from one of indifference and Guy Martin and...
MCN Fleet: A day on the GSX250R with Kevin Schwantz
08 September 2017 by
Just under two weeks ago, when the sun was still shining and the summer was here, I embarked on a trip to Silverstone for the British round of the MotoGP World Championship aboard my Suzuki GSX250R...
MCN Fleet: V-Strom 650XT vs SV650
06 September 2017 by
Riding for me is a balancing act. First and foremost, my bike is my number one means of transport, I’m a long distance commuter and often ride to the race meetings I cover for MCN. However, the...
MCN Fleet: How hard is it to pick up a Harley?
06 September 2017 by
It was all going so well. In my last report I said how after around 5000 miles it had all come together and I was really gelling with the bike. Summer was upon us and I was cruising around with the...
MCN Fleet: What does Keith think of my Honda X-Adv?
06 September 2017 by
Since I’ve been riding the Honda X-Adv it’s been a real talking point with fellow riders. No one knows what it actually is and how it fits in with the normal expectations of a bike or scooter. My...
MCN Fleet: KTM 1290 Super Adventure gets ready for off-road action
05 September 2017 by
Well having just spent a day at the KTM UK workshop, my 1290 Super Adventure S is looking pretty trick, even if I do say so myself! In preparation for a day of off-road riding in Devon with former...
MCN Fleet: Two-up on a 250 - how hard can it be?
01 September 2017 by
Taking a passenger on the Suzuki GSX250R is something I have wanted to do since I got this bike. I almost always seem to ride solo and I often wonder what my rides would be like taking someone along...
MCN Fleet: How to ride Cadwell on a 2017 R6...
31 August 2017 by
Riding Cadwell on a bike as revvy as a 2017 R6 takes a lot of concentration and constant use of the factory OE quickshifter. Keep notching gears down the start/finish straight. Either hit the limiter...
MCN Fleet: GSX-R1000R gets a short back and sides
30 August 2017 by
When Suzuki had the finished GSX-R1000R sketch sat proudly on their drawing board it would’ve looked sleek with no ugly number plate holder, lumpy exhaust can or ghastly Euro4 reflectors. So I’ve...
MCN Fleet: V-Strom completes #ride5000 miles, here's what we've learned
29 August 2017 by
Riding to and from the Cadwell Park British Superbike round took me over my first 5000 miles, so I’ve successfully completed MCN’s #ride5000miles challenge. In that time, I’ve learned a lot about the...
MCN Fleet: BMW R1200GS Rallye's pipe and slippers
27 August 2017 by
BMW’s GS Rallye exudes a quality that it’s hard to pick holes in. From the deep frame paint, to the car-like plastics quality, to the perfect accuracy with which each and every element works and fits...
MCN Fleet: Loving the thought of a comfy sportsbike
24 August 2017 by
The Supersport S came on the perfectly capable OE Pirelli Diablo Rosso II tyres. But after 1600 miles, a track day and a touring trip looming I decided to change to the more all-round Metzeler Roadtec...
MCN Fleet: BMW R1200GS Rallye's big box / little box
23 August 2017 by
You don’t tend to think about how much an empty box weighs, but while working out luggage options for a trip away on the GS, I was stunned by the sheer bulk of the Vario topbox. Of course, my Rallye...
MCN Fleet: 3000 miles with Triumph's Bobber
22 August 2017 by
I’ve now covered over 4000 miles on the Triumph Bobber (it’s been a high mileage week since we recorded the video) and despite the fact the Bobber isn’t especially well suited to the type of riding...
MCN Fleet: When it all click the R6 is magical
16 August 2017 by
I’ve completed over 4000 miles on the Yamaha so far and most of it has been in the guise of a workhorse. I live almost 100 miles from work and commute every day, grinding through torrential downpours...
MCN Fleet: A perfectly packaged Bobber
15 August 2017 by
People always remark on how well-packaged the Triumph Bobber – and most of the Triumph heritage range – is. You know, the way they somehow hide all the wiring and make the fuel injection look like...
MCN Fleet: X-Adv is new Thruxton lap record holder!
15 August 2017 by
Is the Honda X-Adv really designed to go on track? With the chance to take part in the Thames Vale Advanced Motorcyclists (TVAM) Skills Day at Thruxton, I thought it was a great way to find out. It’s...
MCN Fleet: Who's a fellow X-Adv rider?
10 August 2017 by
I was having a chat with one of the lads in the office about my X-Adv. He’d mentioned that, on his way to work that morning, he’d spotted an X-Adv on the road. I thought I was the only one out there...
MCN Fleet: Suzuki GSX250R ready for the road
09 August 2017 by
Suzuki’s GSX250R is finally ready to join the 2017 MCN long-term test fleet and I can’t wait to get stuck in with it. After undertaking the first ride of the bike earlier this month, MCN’s Senior...
MCN Fleet: I've got a confession to make...
09 August 2017 by
If you’ve ever read a copy of MCN, you’ll see we do a feature called 20 Questions, where (would you believe it) we ask key motorcycling personalities 20 questions about riding. There’s one question...
MCN Fleet: Let’s get ready to rumble – for 1200 miles
09 August 2017 by
My Ducati Supersport S has been asked to perform more on the sporty side. Short back-road blasts and a Donington Park trackday certainly saw it earn its sporting stripes. But now it’s time to see if...
MCN Fleet: There's a 'Welcome in the Hillside' for the X-Adv
07 August 2017 by
I’ve just covered 500 miles on my latest weekend jaunt on the Honda X-Adv, I’ve been for a camping weekend deep in the Welsh Valleys. My KTM Duke 125 riding buddy and our On-Line Editor, Maria, had...
MCN Fleet: A touch of a button transforms the GSX-R1000R
04 August 2017 by
Road bike electronics have come along way over the past decade. Ducati’s homologation special 1098R was first to be fitted with traction control, as we know it today. Wheel speed sensors measured the...
MCN Fleet: 1290 Super Adventure S works #Ride5000miles goal
01 August 2017 by
MCN’s campaign to encourage the motorcycle community to ride 5000 miles in 2017 has been a hit and has seen thousands of riders sign up – with a good number having already hit the 5000 mile...
MCN Fleet: The Triumph Bobber mirror breaks
01 August 2017 by
Unfortunately, as cool as the Triumph Bobber looks, it’s not been plain sailing over the first 3000 miles we’ve spent together. I’ve chucked the Bobber straight in at the deep end, using it as my...
MCN Fleet: 'I'd consider taking the R6 touring'
31 July 2017 by
My YZF-R6 is now proving far easier to live with than I first feared. Initially my first impressions weren’t favourable; The suspension was too harsh and the bike was far too track focused. However,...
MCN Fleet: How hard can it be? Fitting luggage to the V-Strom 650
28 July 2017 by
I’ve got a confession to make. I’m absolutely crap at fixing things, DIY and anything like that, so when it comes to playing with bikes, unless it’s something basic, I often err on the side of caution...
MCN Fleet: Can the R6 be tamed?
27 July 2017 by
My relationship with my Yamaha R6 can be described as rocky. She has thrown me out of the seat on more than one occasion and the bars have shaken their disgruntled head a few times. My Yam is a little...
MCN Fleet: The Street Glide has finally clicked
26 July 2017 by
While I’ve been enjoying riding the Harley-Davidson Street Glide I’ve had on test, I’d not really gelled with it. I’ve clocked up well over 5,000 miles on it now but most of that has been commuting,...
MCN Fleet: Bringing a Little Comfort to the X-Adv
26 July 2017 by
With the July sun blazing and light summer nights still with us it’s time to start to think about winter riding, well, it is if you’re anything like me!! Being an all new model, there are currently a...
MCN Fleet: New boots for the RS
24 July 2017 by
The Triumph Street Triple 765 RS comes on the awesome Pirelli Supercorsa SP’s that offer incredible grip for trackways and hot summer rides, but I couldn’t help but feel it was all a little much for...
MCN Fleet: Can you really ride an R1200GS off-road?
18 July 2017 by
There’s a reason why enduro bikes are as thin, light and lithe as possible, with all extraneous fat stripped away to reveal pure muscle and sinew: because the last thing you want off-road is a lardy...
MCN Fleet: The 10p Bobber fix
17 July 2017 by
The Triumph Bobber looks great, there’s no doubt about that. But one thing I was slightly worried about prior to its arrival was if all that style would be at the cost of functionality. The Triumph...
MCN Fleet: A Street Triple Parisian romance
12 July 2017 by
It’s been three months since I got my hands on the Triumph Street Triple 765 RS and so far the bike has been an absolute hoot. Triumph have scored highly in many areas with the new RS from performance...
MCN Fleet: Street Glide - Big bike, small niggles
12 July 2017 by
The Harley-Davidson Street Glide has been steadily growing on my over the last few months and it’s now woven itself into the fabric of my life, making itself a true member of the family. Like all good...